This year Cinapse is sending four staffers to cover the SXSW Film Festival, and this is what they are most excited about seeing. Find all of our coverage throughout the fest at our special SXSW section.
Ed Travis
I always feel like my “most anticipated” films of a festival are like confessionals that expose my true taste in film in a mildly uncomfortable way. Sure, I take lots of risks and chances and see many small and/or weird films at SXSW. So while I’m definitely excited about your Song To Songs, Big Sicks, Heros, and David Lynch docs, the stuff I get amped up for in advance are the big headliner premieres. It always happens this way. There will be gems that arise from obscurity at this festival, and I will heed the buzz and seek them out. But for now, my top most anticipated films are big ones that will play at the Paramount and that will see wide theatrical release. Sue me: I’m an action film junkie.
Baby Driver
Edgar Wright is among the most entertaining filmmakers of our generation, and he stands at a crossroads right now. I don’t know what Baby Driver will be for him, but I know it’s my most anticipated movie of the SXSW 2017 Film Festival. Having had a public breakup with Marvel over Ant-Man, and having completed his Cornetto Trilogy with The World’s End (which I’m in the minority in not digging all that much…it’s good), Wright could really do anything. He could explode into big-budget studio fare, but do we want his voice to be drowned in studio red tape? While I’d love to see larger scale from Wright, I’d be just as happy seeing him continue with the wit and style he’s proven to us repeatedly in his wholly unique filmography. I have every reason to believe a new action comedy from an Edgar Wright who stuck to his guns in the face of the Marvel machine will be brilliant.
Atomic Blonde
My John Wick fandom is well documented here at Cinapse. So when you tell me that David Leitch of the original John Wick fame is directing one of Hollywood’s most reliable and exciting action stars, Charlize Theron, in an action spy thriller… I don’t need to know a whole lot more. And I don’t! I’ve barely even read the plot summary. I just now saw that James McAvoy is in the film as well. Great! The more the merrier. Leitch + Theron + Action Movie was all I really needed to hear though. Also this film used to be titled The Coldest City, and is now called Atomic Blonde, which is a “fun upgrade” of substantial note. I’ll see you at the Paramount for this one.
Free Fire
Probably the film I’m most shocked did not play at Fantastic Fest this year, I’ve had my eye on Ben Wheatley’s Free Fire for several months now, and probably know more about this film than any of the others listed. Wheatley is the definition of “hit or miss” for me, but even his misses and the films I kind of avoided are unquestionably provocative and visionary. He’s a gifted filmmaker who deserves attention whenever one of his works is released. And to be honest, the last few of his films that I have checked out (Sightseers and High-Rise) were quite wonderful and darkly, DARKLY hilarious. So when you put together a remarkable ensemble cast like he has for Free Fire and then set the ENTIRE film across one extended gun battle, I’m putty in Wheatley’s hands. I’ve heard the gun fight can get tiresome, but I’m excited about the exercise of gun battle as setting and feature narrative.
You’ll likely hear from me on these titles in review form. But here at Cinapse I’ll try to recommend some smaller gems that I discover the film festival. Either way, the Cinapse team is excited to wade once more into the fray of SXSW 2017!
Jon Partridge
Big Stuff
Let’s get the big guns out of the way: Baby Driver. Edgar Wright is one of the most gifted directors working today, and his films have always embraced music to drive scenes and moments. For him to conceive and craft a film driven entirely by music is something very exciting indeed. Secondly, in what is likely to be a wonderful pairing with Wright’s effort, is Ben Wheatley’s Free Fire. It looks like a blast and is sure to have a dark vein running through it that the director is synonymous with.
Smaller stuff
As a Brit, how could I not be fascinated by Becoming Bond, a documentary that chronicles how George Lazenby went from mechanic/used-car salesman to starring as James Bond in one of the characters’ best cinematic outings (don’t @ me). Another British connection is present in Prevenge, a film written, directed and starring Alice Lowe (magnificent in Wheatley’s Sightseers) as a woman driven to murder by her unborn child. With Texas as my adoptive home, local talent always step up their game and I’m interested to see what Noël Wells, a highlight of Master of None, has put together as writer/director of Mr. Roosevelt. Small Town Crime, directed by Ian Nelms and Eshom Nelms, is on my to do list by sheer virtue of pairing together John Hawkes and Octavia Spencer. While This Is Your Death sounds like it’s taking a page out of Black Mirror’s book with a plot revolving around a future reality TV game show where people pursue fame and end their lives to satiate the viewer’s enjoyment.
One of the most entertainingly twisted films of the past few years is Evan Katz’s Cheap Thrills. Well the man is back, and teamed up with Macon Blair, fresh off his (well deserved) Sundance Grand jury win for I Don’t Feel at Home in this World Anymore. Small Crimes, about a former cop getting dragged into a war between a crooked sheriff, district attorney, and a mafia boss, sounds ripe for more of their dark and twisted sensibilities. Finally, The Big Sick has been getting plenty of positive buzz, unsurprising considering it draws on the talents of Michael Showalter, Emily V. Gordon, Kumail Nanjiani, and Zoe Kazan.
elizabeth stoddard
I’ve attended SXSW enough times by now to know that you can happen upon some unexpected gems. Last year I really lucked out as far as the quality of films I picked for my schedule. I’m hoping this year is the same!
Like Jon, I’m curious about the woman-directed thriller Prevenge, even though I tend to veer away from gory movies. As far as what I’m most excited about:
American Gods premiere
I re-read Neil Gaiman’s novel months ago in preparation for the new STARZ show, executive produced by Bryan Fuller (Pushing Daisies, Hannibal). My expectations for this new series about a man who becomes embroiled in a fight between old gods and new — they are very high. Fingers crossed Fuller himself is in attendance!
Colossal
Anne Hathaway in a fantasy-comedy about an American woman who turns out to be somehow related to a creature attacking South Korea? Sounds quirky; I’ll try it.
Gemini
I am vague on the details of this film starring Lola Kirke (Mistress America), but John Cho is in it, and that’s enough to have me interested.
Muppet Guys Talking: Secrets Behind the Show the Whole World Watched
Good grief, that’s a long title. Any documentary related to Jim Henson/Sesame Street/The Muppet Show is a must-see for me, so this from director Frank Oz is top of my list. Oz will also appear in discussion with critic Leonard Maltin on Tuesday afternoon as part of the conference.
These are in my definite plans, but the rest I leave up to chance/scheduling/my energy levels.
Rod Machen
Competition Films
My first one is a category. Every year I try to see all the films in the narrative and documentary competition, and every year they consistently delight. An enormous number of films apply for this contest, and those selected are consistently of exceedingly high quality. SXSW has made it easier to enjoy by adding additional screenings of both the jury and audience award winners during the second half of the festival. These are must-sees.
Song to Song
There really couldn’t be a more SXSW movie than this one (unless Richard Linklater did a documentary on SXSW itself using a refurbished Digital-8 camera). Long-time Texas resident Terrence Malick has set his story in modern-day Austin, with all that implies. Local streets, restaurants, and vistas dominate the trailer, and I can’t wait to see it-boy Ryan Gosling walk around our town, as he engages in a love triangle(s?) with Natalie Portman, Michael Fassbender, and Rooney Mara. Oh, and Val Kilmer! This will be my first screening of the fest on Friday night, and I can’t wait.
La La Land comes to SXSW!
After this year’s Oscars, few films aremore in the zeitgeist than La La Land, so what better event that one entitled “An Evening of La La Land Music”? Composer Justin Hurwitz, who just won Best Original Music Score and Best Original Song, will host a Q&A followed by an evening of cocktails and music from the film. I just might die.